Another 4 people die during Ijtema, pushing the death toll up to 19

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Four more devotees who joined the Bishwa Ijtema, one of the world’s largest Muslim gatherings, have died in Dhaka’s Tongi. The death toll from the current Ijtema now stands at 19.

All four of them were members of Tablighi Jamaat, said Habibullah Raihan, media coordinator of the Ijtema Organising Committee.

They were Md Sanwar from Rajbari, Md Alam from Chattogram, Md Shahnewaz Bhuiyan from Narsingdi, and Al Mahmud from Sirajganj.

A total of 13 Tablighi members attending the Ijtema died due to cardiac disease and other health issues, Habibullah said.

Six people working at the event died outside the Ijtema grounds, including a police officer travelling to the location.

Due to an internal feud in the Tablighi Jamaat, the Bishwa Ijtema is being held in two phases this year as well. The first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema drew to a close on its third day on Sunday with prayers for the nation's welfare and lasting world peace.

Maulana Md Zubair Hasan, a senior cleric from Dhaka's Kakrail Mosque, the national headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat, conducted the prayer service from a special platform at the Ijtema grounds.

The second phase will be held from Feb 9 to Feb 11 and attended by the followers of Mowlana Saad Kandalvi from India.